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No. 23. The Hon. the Peemieb to the Agent-General. . . . . Sir, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 29th September, 1898. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your cablegram of the 27th ultimo, and to confirm my telegram to you of the 3rd instant. For your information I have forwarded, under separate cover, a copy of the Public Accounts Committee's report (1.-7) on the question of establishing a Pacific-cable service. The paper was presented to Parliament on the 27th instant, and you will be informed by cable of the action taken on it. I have also enclosed in the same cover a copy of Parliamentary Paper F.-Ba, relating to telegraph-cables. I have, &c, W. C. Walker, for the Premier. The Hon. W. P. Eeeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No. 24. The Hon. the Peemiee to the Agent-Genebal. Sib, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 30th September, 1898. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum of the 26th ultimo, forwarding copy of a letter from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, transmitting copy of despatch, with enclosures, referring to the Pacific telegraph-cable, from the officer lately administering the Government of Queensland; also forwarding copy of letter, with enclosure, from the Agent-General for Victoria. I have, &c, W. C. Walkee, for the Premier. The Hon. W. P. Eeeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No. 25. The Hon. the Premier, Wellington, to the Hon. the Peemiee, Melbourne. Sib, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 30th September, 1898. In supplement to my cablegram of the 13th instant, I have now the honour to inform you that a copy has been forwarded to you, under separate cover, of Parliamentary Paper 1.-7, embodying the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the question of establishing a Pacific-cable service, together with Minutes of Proceedings and Appendices. The paper was presented to Parliament on the 27th instant, and when it has been considered by the House of Eepresentatives you will be duly advised of the action arising thereon. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Melbourne. E. J. Seddon. [Letters of same text to the Hons. the Premiers, Sydney and Brisbane.]

No. 26. The Hon. the Peemiee, Wellington, to the Hon. the Peemiee, Sydney. Sir, — Premier's Office, Wellington, Ist October, 1898. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th August last, advising of the decision of the Conference of the Prime Ministers of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, recently held at Sydney, on the question of the proposed Pacific cable. I note that the Premiers present agreed to recommend their respective Parliaments each to contribute one-ninth of the cost of establishing the service if the British and Canadian Governments would guarantee five-ninths of the cost. As indicated in my letter of yesterday's date, the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Pacific-cable question has yet to be considered by the Parliament of this colony, but when this is being done the Government will recommend that New Zealand shall guarantee the remaining one-ninth of the liability. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. G. H. Eeid, P.C., M.P., E. J. Seddon. Prime Minister of New South Wales, Sydney.

No. 27. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Hon. the Premier, Ottawa. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 18th October, 1898. I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Electric Telegraph Commissioner, to send herewith for your information a copy of Parliamentary Paper No. 1.-7, 1898, being the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the question of establishing a Pacific-cable service. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Ottawa. W. Gray, Secretary. [Letters of same text, with enclosures, to the Hon. Sir E. Cartwright, Ottawa; the Hon. Sir Mackenzie Bowell, Ottawa; the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, London ; and the Deputy PostmasterGeneral, Sydney.]